Charity worker taken to ICU after being found unconscious in Bali hotel room
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August 14, 2023 | 5:18 pm
An Australian woman is being treated in Bali’s intensive care unit after being found unconscious in a hotel room.
Deborah Stone, originally from the Gold Coast, has been living in the tourist hotspot for the past few years, spending much of her time doing charity and volunteer work helping locals.
The 66-year-old was due to fly back to Australia on Thursday to help her daughter Fiona Gunn with her wedding plans, but to the horror of her family she was spotted in Legian, Bali ( Legian passed out in his hotel room.
Fiona, 34, received a call from her older sister Nichole, 47, on August 11 to learn that their mother had been rushed to the BIMC hospital in Nusa Dua, Bali. Intensive Care Unit – about a 25 minute drive from her popular beach location. stay inside.
Stone’s brother Max is currently on holiday in Bali and visiting his sister, who he knew she was ill and went to visit.
“He was really concerned – he had hotel staff open the room and they found her unconscious,” a distraught Fiona told news.com.au.
“I spoke to her last Tuesday and she was being treated for migraines, vomiting and diarrhea.”
On admission, Fiona said, her mother was dehydrated with a severe electrolyte imbalance.
“We spoke to the head doctor in the intensive care unit on Sunday and he told us she had a brain injury and they didn’t know if it was a stroke that caused the swelling and restricted blood flow or severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance,” she said. she explained.
Stone later regained consciousness and is in serious but stable condition.
“She was able to talk and we were able to talk to her but she was slurring and she was lying in bed,” Fiona said.
“At this stage they don’t know the extent of the nerve damage.”
Shortly after the news of Fiona’s mother came, Fiona’s father-in-law was placed on life support for three weeks.
“We just celebrated his coming home…and hearing what happened to mum. I couldn’t believe it, it was like a nightmare.”
She said it was a very challenging time and described it as a “nightmare”.
The 34-year-old has since started a GoFundMe to help raise money to cover her mother’s medical bills, which as of Sunday, when she was hospitalized for three days, had surpassed $14,270.
In Bali, they require an upfront payment, “so we’re trying to find as much money as possible to cover her treatment,” she said.
She added that unfortunately her mother did not have travel insurance, advising fellow Australians to make it a priority because “you don’t know what to expect”.
“We also don’t know how long she will need to be in the hospital and how much ongoing care she will need,” Fiona explained.
A $32,500 goal has been raised to date at $4,816, and Fiona is thrilled to thank those who dug in.
“We’ve been completely blown away by our honesty and overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity,” she told news.com.au.
“Not just the money, but the number of people who reached out to show their support, pray and give us strength during this time.”
Fiona said she was going with the flow every day, with wedding plans put on hold as the family focused on getting through this challenging time.
“Our goal is to get her well enough to be able to return her home so she can be with her family and provide her with the treatment she needs,” Fiona said.
Fiona described her mother as a very generous woman who, prior to the horrific incident, was working with locals in Bali to raise funds and do charity work, such as buying and donating food and clothing.
“She has had a lifelong passion for helping those less fortunate, and we know she has changed the lives of many,” Fiona wrote on GoFundMe.
“If you don’t know Debbie herself, she cooks for the homeless, has been a foster parent, and raised money for the less fortunate.”
Just a few months ago, Stone started his own GoFundMe to raise money for the less fortunate.
“Anyone who knows me well knows that I’ve spent most of my life caring for other people,” Stone wrote on the page.
“My late husband and I had a dream where we sacrificed our permanent home so we could travel, identify needs and do our best to meet them.”
Fiona said the family would have no idea what we would have done without the money raised so far.
“We thank everyone for reaching out to us and we have passed these words on to Debbie today,” she said.
“She was so grateful and touched by the kindness and generosity shown.
“We know not everyone has the financial means to donate, so we ask you to share this widely because every share counts. Please keep praying, we’ve seen prayers answered.”
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